Seattle Sounders FC are stuck in 'second gear' and remain so after a lackluster 1:1 draw with one-win FC Dallas Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park. It was the third straight 1:1 draw for Seattle after recent indentical scores against Chicago and Los Angeles.
Seattle took the lead on a nifty flick by defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. "El Presidente" stuck his left foot into an oncoming cross and steered the ball over the Dallas goalkeeper.
How would rate the individual player performances against Dallas? Comment and see my ratings here!
John Kennedy Hurtado.
FC Dallas drew level with the final goal in first-half stoppage time. Andre Rocha appeared to be offsides according to replays but his line drive across the goal mouth and past Kasey Keller was allowed to stand. Later views of the goal showed that Patrick Ianni was late coming back on the offside trap in Seattle's left defensive flank and kept Rocha onside.
The Sounders entered the match short-handed due to injuries and a migraine suffered by Freddie Ljungberg. Zach Scott and Brad Evans both left the match with injuries. Their status has not yet been reported.
FRISCO, Texas -- Kasey Keller made four second-half saves as the Seattle
Sounders FC came away with a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas in a Major League
Soccer game on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park.
Jhon Kennedy Hurtado scored for Seattle (4-2-3), which earned its third
straight tie and extended its unbeaten run to four games (1-0-3). Two of the
draws have come on the road.
FC Dallas (1-6-2) got the equalizer from Andre Rocha in the dying seconds of
the second half but is winless in four games (0-3-1).
The game could prove costly for Sounders FC, which lost defender Zach Scott
and midfielder Brad Evans to injuries during the match. Coach Sigi Schmid
was already without starters Freddie Ljungberg (migraine), Nathan Sturgis
(hamstring) and James Riley (suspension).
Keller twice denied Dallas forward Brek Shea in the second half. He dived to
his left to save a 15-yard drive by Shea in the 60th minute and Keller
stopped a Shea point-blank header in the 69th.
Seattle scored first. Hurtado, a central defender, celebrated his 25th
birthday by scoring his first MLS goal in the 18th minute. Hurtado flicked
over FCD keeper Ray Burse from 12 yards after Nate Jaqua had headed on a
ball from Patrick Ianni.
Evans nearly made it 2-0 in the 36th minute. He poked Osvaldo Alonso¹s
lofted pass past Burse from 15 yards but the ball rebounded off the left
post.
Stoppage time in the first half proved pivotal. Sounders FC midfielder
Sebastien Le Toux narrowly missed with a low, left-footed drive past the far
post.
Moments later, Dallas defender Marcelo Saragosa drove the ball deep into the
Seattle box, and Rocha redirected the ball past Keller from 6 yards.
Steve Zakuani had the best second-half scoring chance for Seattle. In the
48th minute he forced Burse into a diving save on a quick counterattack up
the left wing.
Seattle, holding second place in the MLS Western Conference with 15 points,
travels to face the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City next Saturday night.
Seattle Sounders FC (4-2-3) Kasey Keller, Zach Scott (Tyson Wahl 18),
Tyrone Marshall, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Steve Zakuani, Osvaldo
Alonso, Brad Evans (Sanna Nyassi 79), Sebastien Le Toux, Fredy Montero, Nate
Jaqua (Stephen King 74)
Subs not used: Ben Dragavon, Peter Vagenas, Roger Levesque, Taylor Graham
FC Dallas (1-6-2) Ray Burse, Drew Moor, George John (Daniel Torres 28),
Steve Purdy (Bruno Guarda 46), Marcelo Saragosa, Pablo Ricchetti, Dave van
den Bergh, David Ferreira, Andre Rocha, Kenny Cooper, Jeff Cunningham (Brek
Shea 24)
Subs not used: Josh Lambo, Dax McCarty, Alvaro Sanchez, Anthony Wallace
Scoring Summary
SEA: Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Nate Jaqua) 18
DAL: Rocha (Saragosa) 48+
Misconduct Summary
DAL -- Andre Rocha (caution; Reckless Tackle) 20
SEA -- Steve Zakuani (caution; Dissent) 48+
SEA -- Tyrone Marshall (caution; Persistent Infringement) 64
DAL -- Marcelo Saragosa (caution; Dissent) 75
DAL -- Bruno Guarda (caution; Reckless Tackle) 80
Referee: Terry Vaughn
Referee's Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry; Jeff Muschik
4th Official: Landis Wiley
Time of Game: 90:00
Weather: Cloudy, 66 degrees
Attendance: 8,247
Comments
I would have them practice on how to pass the ball and on how to finish. This team has nobody that can finish right now. Le Toux has this lead foot that I can't figure out and why he has no touch, maybe because he's doesn't slow down at all.
I would sit both Montero and Jaqua. Zakuani put so many good balls in front of goal Sigi could have scored.
Hurtado is now the best striker on the team. Where is the aggression, urgency in front of goal. Hats off to Hurtado, Evans, Alonso, and Zakuani, great game guys not much help. The back line including Keller kept giving the ball away in the closing minutes, perhaps they had a death wish.
From my camera angle Rocha was offside but I couldn't see the whole field. I try to find the Sounders LB on Rocha's goal but couldn't find him.
Time to think about trading Le Toux and Jaqua
Just looked at the voting results, WTH Letoux??? Montero?? Guess nobody wants anymore goals this year. I think we need a total revamp at the center forward positions,
Jaqua creates so much up front that many people don't realize. He always seems to be in the mix with an assist when the sounders score. You need a target forward who can win balls in the air and be that physical presence. The team didn't finish well in this game, but there is no reason to sit Jaqua or Montero, it is a long season and these guys are very good players who are still trying to figure eachother out.
David I don't like your ratings. Montero, Wahl and Ianni were poor they get 5's. Zakuani was excellent he gets an 8. Alonso, Evans, and Hurtado very good 7.5s. Everyone else a 6.
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